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WASHINGTON: Pakis­tani officials publicly highlighted their influence on the Afghan Taliban leadership in the US capital this week, underlining the importance of their country’s role in promoting the Afghan reconciliation process.

Yet, Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, who led a Pakistani delegation at the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue in Washington this week, surprised many by this public acknowledgment of a presence that Islamabad has been denying for years.

A transcript of his talk at the US Council on Foreign Relations, Washington, which was made available to Dawn on Thursday, confirms media reports of this acknowledgement.

However, Mr Aziz did not actually say that Pakistan had provided “a safe haven” to Afghan Taliban leaders, as reported in a section of the media.

At Tuesday’s event, it was Bob Hathaway, a Pakistan scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, who raised this issue, asking Mr Aziz: “Can you give us a sense of the extent to which your government is able to encourage or even pressure various Taliban groups to negotiate in good faith, and to abide by their promises?”

Mr Hathaway also asked Mr Aziz to explain the tools or the sources of Pakistan’s influence on the Taliban. Mr Aziz began by pointing out that the Taliban, even “in the best of times,” did not listen to Pakistan always, whether it was the Bamiyan statues or many other things.

“They would listen to us when it suited them, otherwise they did not,” he said while explaining that the government in Kabul was equally powerless in this matter.

“And now, we have some influence on them because their leadership is in Pakistan, and they get some medical facilities, their families are here,” he said, marking the first time that Pakistan publicly acknowledged the presence of Afghan Taliban leaders on its soil.

“So we can use those levers to pressurise them to say: Come to the table,” he added.

But Mr Aziz warned that Pakistan could not negotiate on behalf of the Afghan government because “we can’t offer them what Afghan government can offer them”.

He explained that it was not just Pakistan which was trying to persuade the Taliban to join the reconciliation process.

“Actually, Pakistan, the US, and China are committed on the roadmap to persuade them to come together. But then it is for the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan government to negotiate whatever outcome they aim at,” he said.

Mr Aziz then turned to the second part of the question, explaining the tools Pakistan had to influence the Taliban.

“Before the 7th July (reconciliation) meeting (in Murree) last year, we had to use some of these levers and restricted their movements, restricted their access to hospital and other facilities, and threatened them that if you do not come forward and talk,” he said.

“(We) then obviously (said) we will at least expel you, or give you the chance to go wherever you want to, because we have hosted you enough for 35 years. We can’t do any more. Now the whole world is blaming us just for your presence here.”

Mr Aziz added: “So that is the kind of leverage we have to bring them to the table. But to pressurise them, to negotiate, will depend on the parties, which are actually negotiating.”

Pakistan, he said, had a limited role.

“We can advise the Afghan government, if they want our advice, on what might be acceptable and so on and so forth, but in this task I think, and according to the roadmap, all three of us have to share that advice -- US, Pakistan, and China -- so that we collectively decide what is best.”

Mr Aziz explained that the reconciliation process was still at an early stage.

“I don’t think we in the stage where actual negotiation strategy, et cetera. Right now the idea is to bring them to the table,” he said.

Mr Aziz noted that Pakistan’s positive role in the reconciliation process has been appreciated by the United States and other countries, who acknowledged that “(we) are being very sincere and very positive”.

He said the reconciliation process would only work if all parties were serious.

“If you are not serious about reconciliation, then Taliban won’t come,” he added, noting that last week Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued an open invitation to the Taliban to come to the table.

Comments (28) Closed

If Pakistan know where these terrorist leaders are then why not eliminate them?

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Farooq

Mar 04, 2016 07:58am

Any other reasonable country would have arrested and handed over these terrorists to Afganistan or atleast put them in jail for lifetime

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The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Mar 04, 2016 08:07am

Every country/nation/state takes decisions based on its interests and not in the interests of a country half way around the world and with deadly ambitions. The world saw what the US did in the name of so called "War on terror". Pakistan had the wisdom to see well ahead in future and prepare for a time when political reconciliation was to be the tool that can ensure lasting peace. Wars and guns can never bring peace, only negotiations and peace talks can bring peace. I wish that the West and their puppets in Kabul could have seen this wisdom before. Anyway, good to see that finally there is a chance for peace.

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Raja Ragu Raman

Mar 04, 2016 08:25am

World already knows.. By simply ignoring, it will not do any help in an international level...Terrorism can't be a tool in anyway...Economic development is much needed for Pak at this time

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_mandar

Mar 04, 2016 08:36am

I always wonder, what do they do for living ?

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Moneen

Mar 04, 2016 09:22am

Since when China became so important in Afghanistan?

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Mohammad Salim Khalid

Mar 04, 2016 10:50am

Nothing new; nothing astonishing.

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Waseem Sarwar

Mar 04, 2016 11:42am

I have another theory to settle whole Afghan matter. Send them back to their country and ask them to settle their own problems in their land. Leave us alone of all this mess.

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R.Kannan

Mar 04, 2016 12:46pm

What does Mr Aziz mean by "serious about reconciliation"? The Taliban's main demand is that power should be handed over to them. The Taliban cannot win elections in a democratic set up & thus resorts to violence. The Taliban also gets its weapons somewhere & the rest of the world thinks Pakistan is involved in that.

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asif

Mar 04, 2016 01:49pm

When will Mr Aziz retire?, do we not have other educated people who can do this role?.

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Abdul

Mar 04, 2016 01:56pm

Relationships are built on love and trust not on blood.

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M.Saeed

Mar 04, 2016 01:57pm

@Waseem Sarwar : But, theory can only work if made into a demonstrated principle.

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sks

Mar 04, 2016 03:49pm

Mr.Aziz can you please tell me why the Af. Taliban are in Pakistan?

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Abbas Naqvi

Mar 04, 2016 04:47pm

The effects of Pakistan's wrong policy of supporting Taliban in the past and providing them protection now continue to cause political headache for Islamabad. The present attempt to bring Taliban on the negotiation table remains shaky although US and China are also involved in the process. Given the continued Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and their attacks on state structure as well as the presence of foreign troops in that country, chances of returning peace to Afghanistan remain slim. Peace in Afghanistan is important for regional peace and stability. It is also vital for Pakistan's security and stability. It is in this context that Islamabad needs to deploy its diplomatic tools more forcefully to find a lasting solution to the lingering Afghan crisis.

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Iftikhar Husain

Mar 04, 2016 04:53pm

If Pakistan has some influence on Taliban then why these terrorist are attacking Pakistan all the time. there was once influence when USA and Pakistan were trying to defeat the Russians.

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Zak

Mar 04, 2016 05:37pm

@Farooq Pakistan knew, US, NATO would lose the war.mthey a
So knew, West would come to Pakistan for help. So Pakistan kept a few aces in its pack and bided time. Now, US, NATO have lost, they asked Pakistan for help and Pakistan has pulled the aces out and come out on top, once again.

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Zahid Ali

Mar 04, 2016 06:02pm

All the people who are criticizing government's decision to host afghan Taliban leader should also consider the presence of american elements in Pakistan. Afghan Taliban are good towards Pakistan. It is America which is destroying the peace of this region.

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M.Saeed

Mar 04, 2016 07:30pm

@asif : What you say man, don't you know he is a former CSS of 1950 batch, post graduate in Development Economics from the prestigious Harvard University and a long served in the UN? He is better educated than almost all other advisers of the PM. .

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Mustafa R.

Mar 04, 2016 07:48pm

@Moneen;

China is Afghanistan' largest, richest and the most powerful neighbor. China actually shares a border with Afghanistan.

They all went to schools, build their homes and have families in Pakistan ever since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Its as simple as that. The border is wide open and they come and go as they like. Part of the problem is that Afghanistan also does not want to lock down Pak-Afghan border.

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Aleem

Mar 04, 2016 08:30pm

@Raja Ragu Raman
One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. Ask the Pashtun majority how they feel about the Taliban fighting in Afghanistan and you will have an answer.

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Malik

Mar 04, 2016 09:00pm

when will the poor start getting medical benefits if the terrorists have access to medical facilities already?

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Salma

Mar 04, 2016 09:01pm

can someone explain if criminals have access to medical facilities why don't the poor people?

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Salman

Mar 04, 2016 09:05pm

medical facility access to murderers and killers? and no medical access to suffering poor citizens? I guess fear of God is non existent for such injustice?

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Rohit

Mar 04, 2016 11:08pm

Worst kept secret, ever!

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Pandora

Mar 04, 2016 11:20pm

Mr Aziz has just opened a Pandora box but the world ready knew what was in it.